Electronic commerce, such as personal banking via the Internet, has become increasingly popular. Many electronic banking applications enable a user to perform banking related transactions from home, such as through a personal computer, browser-equipped cellular phone, electronic wallet (both client side and server side) or other client device. Using the client device, a user may manipulate a graphical user interface to transfer funds between accounts, direct a wire payment to a third party, redeem securities or perform other transaction functions.
Electronic banking may however suffer from the drawback that it is difficult for a user to manipulate and move funds when and how the person desires. Some systems require a user to access multiple graphic user interface screens to effectuate the transfer of money, even from just one source account to just one recipient. These access requirements, possibly including repeated logins, may lengthen the process and cause user confusion, thereby discouraging a user from accessing the service.
Electronic banking may also suffer the drawback of defaulting to a payment mechanism which may not be the most efficient or cost effective manner for achieving various transactions. For example, some methods for transferring funds may be more expensive than others. A balance transfer transaction using a credit card account as a source of payment which is executed at a cost of, for example, 3% of balance may be more expensive than an ACH transfer, or transmitting a personal or certified check or postal or bank money order to satisfy the same credit card or other bill.
The host financial institution, acting as the payment enabler to the transaction, may therefore absorb different internal costs depending on the payment mechanism chosen by the user, or to which the transaction defaults. The consumer may in cases see those differing transaction costs reflected in different fees charged to them.
Moreover some financial institutions, from the point of view of internal operations, consider certain categories of funds transfer, including the Automated Clearing House (ACH) and wire transfer, as risky since authenticating the identity of the customer may be difficult or impossible. However security criteria may not always be factored into transaction defaults or rules. Other parameters, such as contractual obligations such as minimums with different payment providers, possible volume discounts, tiered rewards thresholds and others may not be taken into account in the ordinary routing of transactions.
The consumer, business or other payment initiator for their part may need to be aware of various payment mechanisms and the costs associated with each method of delivering payment to determine the most cost-effective way of transmitting funds, without assistance from the electronic payment system itself.
Fulfillment services may therefore be more expensive for providers and users than necessary, and less expedient or secure than they could be.
Further, many financial institutions such as banks, credit card companies, mortgage companies, securities houses and other entities contract with a single third party bill payment provider to have bills presented and paid on their behalf using bill pay platforms. Typically the Web site or telephone bill pay products are branded by the provider to represent the financial institution. In some cases the financial institution maintains the user interface but in other cases, the bill payment provider provides the user interface. Examples of bill payment providers include CheckFree, Spectrum, ePrinceton Telecom, M&I and others.
In addition, in most cases only one bill payment provider can be used at one time or by one customer due to a financial institution's inability to provide a consolidated view of the various bill payment and transfer methods. Usage of multiple bill payment services and transfers may cause further confusion for the customer, and the institution's customer care team.
An integrated, programmable and optimizing technique for managing various fund transfers and other transaction, and providing tracking to the customer and customer service representative, is not available. Other drawbacks exist.